Description
PLEASE NOTE: Lake Julia is open during hunting season. No hunting is allowed at Lake Julia.
Lake Julia Preserve is nestled in the foothills of the western Adirondack Mountains. The preserve features a rich mosaic of mature northern hardwood forest interspersed with streams, a spruce-fir swamp, a northern sphagnum bog, pine plantations and man-made lakes. These features make it a great place for hiking and nature study. Faculty and students in the Department of Biology at Utica College use the preserve for ecological teaching and research.
The property was donated to The Nature Conservancy in 1976 by Cynthia Anne Gibson of Connecticut. It had been in her family since the end of the nineteenth century.
In the fall of 2008, a young man completed his Eagle Scout project at Lake Julia by connecting two spur trails and thereby creating a two-mile loop trail. He also improved and repaired the wooden bridges along the spur trail.
The Lake Julia Preserve lies within a large block of forest that serves as an ecological bridge between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondack Park. The Nature Conservancy is working with a range of partners—including the NYS Department of Transportation, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust and Land Trust Alliance—to help protect this area and ensure connectivity between two of the largest forest blocks in New York State.
